Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, the youngest championship leader in Formula One history, will target a third straight win this weekend as the series resumes following a monthlong hiatus caused by the Middle East war.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver, triumphant in China and Japan, leads teammate George Russell, who won the season-opening Australian race, by nine points ahead of what is effectively the start of another season, complete with revised rules and widespread car upgrades, at the Miami Grand Prix.

“After a month without any racing, we are ready to get back on track,” said Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. “We’ve used this break to analyse the opening races, address our weaknesses and raise our level.

“We’ve started the season well, but that counts for very little if you stand still. We know our competitors will have used this time to improve and build a deeper understanding of their cars so we expect the field to be closer in Miami.

“That’s the reality of F1 – it’s a challenge we must rise to.”

Antonelli’s early triumphs made him the first Italian driver since Alberto Ascari in 1953 to win two consecutive races. Ascari completed his treble that season.

Wolff also addressed the tweaks to the regulations to be introduced in Miami, aimed at making the cars and the spectacle more natural, with reduced battery recharging in qualifying and increased super-clipping power to reduce dangerous speed differentials.

He said the revised rules would “respect the DNA of our sport” and deliver an improved spectacle without any significant reduction to Mercedes’ early-season performance advantage.

For Mercedes, this Sunday’s race is an opportunity for a first win in Florida since the event was launched five years ago. It has been won twice by four-time champion Max Verstappen for Red Bull and twice by McLaren, with a win apiece for world champion Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri.

‘Completely new car’

They will harbor hopes of claiming points too with success in Saturday’s sprint race, won last year by Norris, but Ferrari are widely expected to be strong contenders too, as they arrive in Miami, like McLaren, who are bringing an almost “completely new car,” with a heavily revised package.

“It was one of our best tracks for pure pace, compared to others, last year,” said Norris. “It’s a different track and it may still suit us a little more than others.”

After winning in 2022 and 2023, Verstappen will be aiming to stop Mercedes’ winning run and revive Red Bull’s challenge this year after a discouraging start. He is ninth, on 12 points, 60 adrift of Antonelli, with teammate Isack Hadjar 12th on four.

Ferrari’s duo of Charles Leclerc and seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton are third and fourth, respectively, on 49 and 41 points, with many paddock observers suggesting they are poised to fight for a first win since Carlos Sainz’s success in Mexico in October 2024.

Leclerc’s eighth and last win came at Austin, Texas, shortly before Sainz’s triumph, while Hamilton is chasing his 106th win and first since the 2024 Belgian race before he joined Ferrari.

After a desultory first year, the Briton said he is relishing the challenge of a new formula that has seen him rediscover his racing mojo.

“We’re all recharged after the break,” said Russell, expressing the feelings of most drivers. “I’m hoping we can continue where we left off.”

It will mark newcomer Cadillac’s first racing appearance on home soil in the United States when Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas venture out at the Hard Rock Stadium in a new American livery.

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Arsenal and Atletico Madrid traded in spot kicks, playing out a drab 1-1 affair – an antithesis of the PSG-Bayern epic a day earlier – in the second UEFA Champions League semifinal Wednesday.

Julian Alvarez’s 56th-minute penalty secured Atletico Madrid the draw against Arsenal, who had led the first half through a penalty scored by Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal were then upset at a late penalty decision being overturned following a VAR review, when David Hancko made contact with Eberechi Eze in the area.

“I’m incredibly fuming,” said Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. “It’s a clear and very obvious penalty.”

Atletico had the better of it for long periods, but Arsenal’s solid defending helped them leave the Spanish capital in a good position to return to the Champions League final 20 years after their last appearance.

“Here, you have to suffer,” Arteta told Movistar. “Many teams have suffered here, including some of the best in the world.

“We had some good moments in the match and moments where we had to suffer. The margins are very slim.”

Atletico captain Koke said his side could be proud of how they played in the second half.

“We were the team we have to be – if we play at this level, we can win,” Koke told Movistar.

“From my point of view, they didn’t create much danger against us … the team defended well and they just had that penalty,” he added.

What the game lacked in the dizzying goal rush of Paris Saint-Germain’s 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in the other semifinal the night before, it replaced with tension and a desperation not to fall behind.

Toilet paper rained down from the stands of the Metropolitano stadium minutes before kick off, in a striking – if wasteful – display, which invited cynical jokes from some quarters about the calibre of the spectacle ahead.

In a tussle between arguably the continent’s two biggest teams never to lay a finger on the trophy neither wanted to blink first.

Atletico still have an old-style defensive reputation but pinned Mikel Arteta’s miserly Arsenal back in the early stages, with David Raya tipping Alvarez’s shot around the post.

The Gunners, a long way from Arteta’s eve-of-the-game demand, dominated proceedings and looked to smash and grab.

Noni Madueke, starting on Arsenal’s right flank with Bukayo Saka only fit for the bench, hammered just wide as last year’s beaten semifinalists sporadically emerged from their half.

The next time they did, Gyokeres won a penalty. The Swedish striker, who might not have started if Kai Havertz had been fit, exchanged passes with Martin Zubimendi and Hancko clumsily shoved him in the back from behind.

Diego Simeone and Atletico veteran Antoine Griezmann begged for the decision to be reviewed, but VAR saw no reason to intervene.

Gyokeres took the spot-kick himself, walloping it past Jan Oblak, who dived the right way but stood no chance of keeping it out.

Atletico battle back

Three-time runnerups Atletico, back in the semifinals for the first time in nine years, came out guns blazing in the second half.

Raya saved Ademola Lookman’s drive with Gabriel blocking Griezmann’s follow-up.

The hosts pulled level from the penalty spot after White handled Marcos Llorente’s shot, the ball bouncing up and hitting his arm, which was away from his body.

Alvarez took it, and having missed in Atletico’s Copa del Rey final shoot-out defeat earlier in April, this time made no mistake with an unforgiving blast rivalling Gyokeres’s first-half effort.

MLS-bound Griezmann looped a shot off the crossbar and then sent the rebound off target as Atletico turned the screw in pursuit of an advantage to take into next Tuesday’s second leg.

“This is what we have to do in the away game,” said Griezmann. “(The second half) was much better in terms of intensity.”

Nigeria international Lookman twice came close and could end up ruing his missed chances, kept out by the alert Raya.

Arsenal thought they had won a second penalty when substitute Eze went down under a sluggish Hancko challenge, but to their fury, the referee changed his mind after a VAR review, deciding the Slovakian defender’s contact was minimal.

Arsenal next take on Fulham as they continue their battle with Manchester City for the Premier League title, while with little to play for in La Liga, Simeone will rotate heavily, before this tie is decided in London.

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Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest, two clubs with proud European pedigrees, meet in the Europa League semifinals Thursday just one step away from their first continental final in decades.

English clubs dominated the European Cup, now known as the Champions League, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with two triumphs for Forest and one for Villa.

But the clubs – just 80 kilometres (50 miles) apart in the English Midlands – have had contrasting seasons as they prepare for the first leg Thursday.

Unai Emery’s Villa are on course for a return to Europe’s top club competition after a strong Premier League campaign.

Forest, by contrast, remain at risk of relegation, though the club have turned a corner under Vitor Pereira, who is their fourth manager during a chaotic campaign.

The club are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions, reaching a first European semifinal in 42 years.

A 5-0 demolition of Sunderland last week followed a 4-1 victory over Burnley, with goals suddenly flowing for a side that had been blunt under Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche.

“Everyone is scoring, which makes us happy,” said Pereira. “It’s a good feeling. We’re eight games unbeaten now, and it’s important to keep this mentality.”

Forest’s heyday came under Brian Clough, who masterminded back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, while Villa were continental champions two years later.

But both teams have been starved of success in the decades since, which have included spells in the lower tiers of English football.

Emery pedigree

Villa have flourished since Emery joined the club in 2022 and are favorites to end their 30-year wait for a major trophy, with Freiburg or Braga awaiting the winners in next month’s final in Istanbul.

Two years ago, Villa reached the semifinals of the UEFA Conference League in their first taste of European competition for 13 years.

Last season, they gave Paris Saint-Germain a scare before bowing out 5-4 on aggregate to the eventual winners in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

And Emery is no stranger to Europa League glory, having won the second-tier competition four times during his spells at Sevilla and Villarreal.

“I know how difficult it is to win a European trophy. European competition is very important to us and it’s given me so much in my career as a coach,” said the Spaniard.

“Now I’m trying to experience that with the players and supporters at Aston Villa.”

“Forest have a history in Europe as well, because they won the European Cup like Aston Villa, so it is something special for us and for them.”

Winning the Europa League would give Forest access to the Champions League for the first time since 1980, when they were the holders.

The dreams of a clutch of other Premier League clubs could depend on the performance of Emery’s men.

Should Villa win the Europa League and finish fifth, the sixth-placed team in the Premier League would qualify for the Champions League.

Forest host Villa in the first leg of the semifinal Thursday, with the second leg taking place a week later.

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Paris Saint-Germain may have won on paper, but the game of football was the real winner Tuesday when the defending champions and German giants Bayern Munich played out a 9-goal Champions League epic.

The Parisians clinched a 5-4 victory in the pulsating semifinal that had a record number of goals at this stage of ⁠the competition. They came from a goal down to lead 5-2 with two goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele before Bayern struck twice in three minutes just before the ​hour to improve their chances for next week’s return leg in Munich.

The match ​pitted ⁠the most attacking Champions League teams of the season against each other and it quickly lived up to its billing with a relentless pace and with Bayern coach Vincent Kompany in the stands, serving out a suspension and his assistant Aaron Danks in the dugout.

“We’re really happy, and I think we deserved to win, but we also deserved a draw, and we would have even deserved to lose, because this game was that incredible,” said PSG coach Luis Enrique.

“I’ve never seen a game with that rhythm before. You have to congratulate the opponents, the players. When you hold a 5-2 lead like that, the opponents take so many risks – they’re a top-level side. It was difficult, and the second leg will be too.”

Harry Kane ⁠converted ⁠a 17th-minute penalty to beat PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov and become the first English player to net in six successive Champions League fixtures. The England captain then delivered a well-timed pass for Michael Olise, but his close-range shot was cleared off the line.

The hosts should have levelled when Dembele broke through, but his finish flew well wide in the 23rd, but Kvaratskhelia did find the net with a trademark move and a low shot after cutting into the box.

Bayern hit the post following a solo run by Olise and his deflected pass, but it was PSG who scored again in the 33rd with Joao Neves’ ⁠glancing header.

There was plenty of drama left in the first half with Olise making amends for his earlier miss and drawing Bayern level with a 41st-minute shot after being given far too much space around the box.

PSG were then awarded a stoppage-time ​penalty and Dembele powered his spot kick past Manuel Neuer to put them back in front.

Double strike

PSG picked ​up where they left off after halftime and carved out a two-goal lead when Kvaratskhelia drilled in a 56th-minute effort and the French side struck again before Bayern had any time to ⁠recover, this time ‌Dembele beating ‌Neuer once more with a low drive that went in off the ⁠post two minutes later.

The hosts looked to be running away with ‌the game, but Bayern refused to buckle and fought back with two goals of their own in a three-minute span from Dayot ​Upamecano and Luis Diaz.

PSG’s Senny Mayulu rattled ⁠the woodwork in the 86th minute as both sides kept up the frenetic ⁠pace until the final whistle.

“Although we lost the game, we showed what kind of team we are ⁠and that we can deal ​with setbacks,” said Bayern defender Jonathan Tah.

“We know we can win by two goals at home. We’re confident and we’ll give everything next week to reach the final.”

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Atletico Madrid and Arsenal meet on Wednesday in a heavyweight UEFA Champions League semifinal that pits Diego Simeone’s “coraje y corazon” against a resurgent Premier League leader chasing the greatest season in club history.

The first leg in Madrid sets the tone for a tie loaded with tactical intrigue, injury doubts and psychological baggage on both sides.

Arsenal arrive in the Spanish capital with the chance to turn years of “almost” into a defining breakthrough. Mikel Arteta’s side have been branded English football’s nearly men after three successive runners-up finishes in the Premier League and near-misses in Europe, including a 3-1 aggregate defeat to eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s semifinals and a quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich in 2024.

Now, just seven games separate them from what could be the club’s greatest ever campaign. They sit three points clear of Manchester City in the league, with four games left for Arsenal and five for Pep Guardiola’s side.

Meanwhile, three more wins in Europe would deliver a first-ever Champions League crown, with a potential final in Budapest against PSG or Bayern on May 30.

Captain Declan Rice insists the squad is ready for the moment. “We’ve played in tough games in the last three or four years at the highest level, so we know what to expect and what’s to come,” he said, urging teammates to embrace the pressure: “‘Bring it on.’”

However, Arteta’s preparation has been complicated by fitness issues. Mikel Merino (foot) and Jurrien Timber (ankle) remain sidelined, while the game may come too soon for Riccardo Calafiori (knock). Kai Havertz and Eberechi Eze (both muscle), along with Martin Zubimendi (illness), will be assessed after being withdrawn against Newcastle.

Eze has “insisted that he is ‘fine’ and came off as a ‘precaution’ last time out,” but Arteta could still opt for rotation on the left, with Gabriel Martinelli or Leandro Trossard in contention, while Viktor Gyökeres is poised to replace Havertz up front if needed. Bukayo Saka made a strong impact off the bench against Newcastle after his own return from injury and “may be handed his first start in over a month” on the right wing.

Arsenal’s recent record against Spanish clubs offers confidence: They have won each of their last seven Champions League games against La Liga opposition and have lost just one of their last 11 away matches in the competition (W9 D1). However, they will remember that Atletico edged them 2-1 on aggregate in the 2017-18 Europa League semifinals.

Metropolitano Factor

If Arsenal bring form and ambition, Atletico bring edge, experience and one of Europe’s most intimidating home atmospheres. Simeone’s side have long since moved beyond the stereotype of dour, defense‑only football, but some principles remain non‑negotiable: intensity, work rate, competitiveness and a “capacity to suffer when they need to against superior opponents.”

“We’ve reached this point by competing the way we have – nothing has stopped us so far,” Simeone said, emphasizing their identity. The team’s motto, “Coraje y corazon” — courage and heart — captures their approach and even star man Antoine Griezmann “works his socks off” in addition to providing quality.

At the Metropolitano, when conditions are right, Atletico have shown they can dismantle anyone. They “blitzed Barcelona 4-0 in the Copa del Rey semifinal first leg” and “romped to a 5-2 derby victory over Real Madrid there earlier this season.”

Local newspaper AS framed the stakes bluntly: “Congratulations Atletico – if you beat Arsenal, then the (anniversary) celebration will be perfect.”

Simeone has called on the famously loud home support: “We’ve built this success through hard work and the support of our fans. We need them now more than ever, and hopefully, we can give them what they want on the pitch.”

Atletico must cope without energetic midfielder Pablo Barrios (hamstring) and defender Jose Gimenez (muscle), while Ademola Lookman (muscle) and David Hancko (ankle) are doubts and will be assessed. Even so, there is optimism in attack. Julian Alvarez, who struck the woodwork twice in a 4-0 group‑stage loss to Arsenal, said he is “100%.”

Marcos Llorente believes both sides have evolved significantly since that heavy defeat to Arsenal in October: “Both teams have evolved a lot since then.”

Griezmann, Atletico’s all‑time top scorer and MLS‑bound at season’s end, says the renewed form has given them belief: “It’s good to win again after a negative run. It will be a very important match (against Arsenal), we have to be calm, relaxed, knowing that we can do it… I’m enjoying these last few games here. I hope I can gift something incredible to the fans.”

Simeone’s warning to his own players – “If you don’t run, you’re coming off tomorrow” – underlines the intensity Arsenal can expect.

Clash of styles

On one side stand Premier League leaders desperate to prove their mental steel and finally lift European silverware; on the other, a scarred-but-dangerous Atletico who thrive on adversity and emotion in big European nights. Arsenal’s away form and attacking fluency face off against Atletico’s pressing, power and a crowd, Simeone says they “need now more than ever.”

With both clubs eyeing history, Arsenal a first Champions League title, Atletico a chance to crown Simeone’s second era with silverware, the first leg in Madrid promises to be a ferocious, finely balanced encounter.

Possible Starting Lineups:

Arsenal: David Raya; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Piero Hincapie; Martin Odegaard, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice; Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Gabriel Martinelli.

Atletico Madrid: Jan Oblak; Nahuel Molina, Robin Le Normand, Clement Lenglet, Matteo Ruggeri; Giuliano Simeone, Koke, Marcos Llorente, Nicolas Gonzalez; Antonio Griezmann, Julian Alvarez.

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Fenerbahçe have plunged into fresh turmoil after a disastrous run of results – capped by a heavy defeat to title rivals Galatasaray on Sunday – triggered the sacking of the manager and a shock decision by club president Sadettin Saran to call early elections and announce he will not run again.

Saran announced in an address to the community that an extraordinary elective general assembly has been scheduled for June 6-7, adding that he will not be a candidate.

“We knew this community no longer needed to wait, but to stand up,” he said, noting they had worked day and night toward the championship target but had not reached the desired level.

He added that the decision not to postpone the elections was deliberate: “Throughout the season, we postponed some decisions so as not to harm our title challenge. But it is clear that we cannot delay this process any further.”

Saran stressed that the presidency is not a personal power struggle and said: “The presidency of Fenerbahçe is not a field where every means is permissible in order to win,” he said, underlining that the office “requires responsibility” and that “leaving the seat when the time comes is as much a virtue as taking it.”

He also called for unity in the club during this difficult period. “Fenerbahçe is not the property of individuals, but the common value of the entire community,” he said, warning that internal disputes damage the club. “Fighting for this chair has no benefit to Fenerbahçe. What matters is Fenerbahçe itself.”

Saran concluded by promising to support the club even after handing over his duties, ending his statement with: “Long live Fenerbahçe.”

‘Chain Reaction’

Saran’s decision comes against the backdrop of a brutal week on the pitch. Fenerbahçe were convincingly beaten 3-0 by Galatasaray at RAMS Park Sunday, a result that effectively killed their title hopes and handed their fiercest rivals a near‑decisive advantage in the Süper Lig race.

Galatasaray’s win pushed them seven points clear with three matches remaining, leaving Fenerbahçe needing a miracle to stay in contention. The manner of the defeat – a flat performance in a must‑win derby, following a season of inconsistency – provoked fury among supporters and intensified pressure on the technical staff.

Within 24 hours, Fenerbahçe’s head coach was dismissed, with club insiders and local media linking the sacking directly to the Galatasaray collapse and the broader failure to meet championship expectations. The derby loss crystallized a sense that the project had stalled, despite heavy investment and public promises.

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